Trenching apparatus



T. F.`MO0RE. TRENCHHJGAPPARATUS.` n APPLICATION FILED FEB.18. 1919.-

Panted May 24,1921.

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.NQ ehu. AN a R. .IINHm T. F.' MOORE. A TRENCHING APPARATUS. APPLICATIONFILED FEB.18,1919.

Patented May 24, 1921.

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UNITED STATES THOMAS F. iMOORE', 0F DOVER, NEW JERSEY.

TRENCHING APPARATUS.

I Specification of Letters Patent. Patnted play 24, 1921 Applicationfiled February 18, 1919. Serial No. 277,797.

To all whom t may cmwem.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. MOORE, of Dover, in the county of Morris,in the State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements inTrenching Apparatus, ofwhich the following, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus forexcavatingr and back filling trenches for sub-surface conduits andsimilar work, which is necessarily carried 0n within relatively narrowlimits partielllarly in the thoroughfares of more or less congesteddistricts, and is somewhat similar to that set forth in my patent ofJune 18, 1918, No. 1,270,240, in that it contemplates the use of alongitudinally swinging digging dipper and a. bucket together withsuitable hoists mounted vupon a car, which in turn is movable along atrack between a power house and a suitable anchorage for the dipperoperating cable, the bucket being operated by a separate cable from thepower house.

The material to be excavated such as loose earth, sand, gravel, clay,shale, and solid rock, often varies at different depths or levels and atdifferent localities in the length of the trench so that it becomesnecessary at times to change the method of and implements forexcavating.4

It has been found, however, that practically all Of these materials maybe-expeditiously and economically handled by means of a power operateddigging dipper for use in excavating the looser materials, while thebucket may be used in rock-cuts and other places where it is necessaryto reduce the materials by blasting or other means.

y The main object, therefore, is to-mount Athe dipper and bucket uponthe same car in such a manner that either may be used for excavating andback filling or loading into wagons without interference one with theother.

The specific object as distinguished from my prior patent referred to,is to place the cable supporting sheaves for the dipper and bucket insuch relative position upon the car that the `cable connection betweenthe dipper, and its cable-supporting vsheaves may have amore directforward draft upon the, dipper when the latter is swung downwardly andrearwardly beyond a perpendicular or to the limit of its rearwardswinging movement, and at the same time to reduce to a minimum thelifting thrust of the dipper on the rear end of the car asvthe dipper isdrawn forward and upward in the operation of digging.

Another object is to place the cable-supporting sheaves for the fallblock of the bucket on the rear end of the car so that the correspondingfall-block and its supportingcable may operate freely between theopposite arms of the dipper-supporting beam, all of which enables thecar to be made considerably shorter and, therefore, less cum- Vsuch amanner that it may be automatically shifted from its normal lockingposition by a, portion of the adjacent cable when the dipper is rockeddownwardly to its extreme rearward position for the purpose of reducmgto a minimum the frictional wear between the cable and locking pin.

A 'further object is to operate the movable bottom of the dipper bymeans of toggle-arms and suitable actuating means therefor all of whichare mounted directly upon the dipper-supporting beam so that the bottomof the dipper may be opened or closed at will at any point in the are ofmovement of said dipper.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the trenchapparatus will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings- Figure -1- is a side elevation of a trenching apparatusembodying the various features of my invention, the dipper being Fig.-3- is an inverted plan of the dip per and adjacent portion of itssupporting beam showing more particularly the togglearms and operatingmeans therefor, for opening and closing the bottom of the dipper, a'portion of said toggle-arms being shown in section.

Fig. -4- is a top plan of a fragmentary portion of the dipper-supportingbeam showing the rotary drum and cables controlling the operation of thetoggle-arms previously mentioned.

Fig. -5- is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 5-5, Fig. -4,showing more particularly the means for locking the toggle controllingdrum in its adjusted position.

The means illustrated for carrying out the objects stated comprises atrack -A- ,hav ing its rails running along opposite sides of the line oftrench and adapted to support a power house -B a car C, and an anchorage-D-, the power house and anchorage being located considerably apart,

lengthwise of-J the track and are provided with suitable wheels restingupon the rails of said track to permit them to be easily moved thereon,but are preferablyI held against such movement by suitable blocking (notshown) when the apparatus is in operation.

The power house contains the motive power such as steam engine -B- andcable drums ZJ- and -Z/-.

The anchorage -D is adapted to receive and support weights `flsuiiicientto counteract any load which may be placed upon the dipper operatingcable as lwhich is passed around the sheave -J- on the upper portion ofthe anchorage D as shownr'more clearly in Fig. -1.

The car -C- is movable along the .track -A- between the power house -B.-and anchorage -D-, and is similar to that set forth in my Patentv1,270,240, previously mentioned, except that it is somewhat shorter andis specifically adapted to the altered arrangement of the supportingmeans for the fall-blocks, and other structural differences which may behereinafter pointedout.

The general structure of the car is that of a trussed bridge composed ofopposite upright longitudinally extending sections Q- of sufficientheight and transverse spaced relation to permit a wagon or similarvehicle to pass between them from end to end, and also affording ampleclearance for the operation of the clipper and bucket in the interveningspace for loading the vehicles, or for excavating or back lling as maybe desired.

The upper portion of these uprights -2- are rigidly connected byupwardly converging braces -3-.- and a central lengthwise ridge beamsuitably secured to and between braces -:lso' as to form a unitary framehaving a iengthwis(` passage thereto from end to end below the ridgebeam for the free operation of the dipper and bucket in the interveningspace, said frame being also provided at its ends and sides withelevated platforms -5- and -6- along which length to allow the dipper toenter thel ground a considerable distance below the surface thereof fortrenching purposes, and is preferably of greater length than the car andis movable longitudinally and also about a transverse axis so that whenthe dipper is elevated to a position in proximity to the front end ofthe car the rear end of the beam will extend some distance beyond thecorresponding end of the car, as shown in Fig:

The arms 8'- of the 'dipper-supporting beam are arranged at oppositesides of the ridge beam -4-, and are provided along their lower rearedges with toothed-racks -9- meshing withl pinions -10- which aresecured to a transverse shaft -11-, the latter being journaled insuitable bearings on the upper end of the braces -3- near the rear endof the ridge beam 4 and constitutes a pivot about which the(lippensupporting beam is adapted to rock.V

The arms -8- are also guided in rocking yokes 12- which are mounted onthe rock shaft l1- at opposite sides of the rear braces -3- near theridge beam lland are provided with rollers -13- for engaging the upperedges of said arms -8- at the opposite sides of the shaft -1 1 forholding the racks -9- in engagement with their pinions -10-, and alsofor guiding the dipper supporting beam in its longitudinal movement.

In other words the dipper supporti-ng arms --8- are slidablelongitudinally intheir respective yokes 1Q. which in turn are movablewith said arms about the axis of the shaft *11-, while the pinions l0-and rollers 13- constitute roller bearings for guiding thedipper-supporting arms in their longitudinal movement with a minimumamount of friction, the pinions #10- and racks .-9- serving as a meansby which and -9f, said lever being provi stance of a wheel T14- securedto the shaft -11 and adapted to be engaged by a -17- connected by acable -18 to a hand lever -19- as shown in Figs. P1

the usual pawl for engaglng a relatively fixed rack 20- to hold thebrake in its operative position.

The ridge beam 4 is usually made of opposite plates in transverselyspaced relat1on for receiving between theml separateV pairs of sheaves21 and Q2-J' located respectively near the front and rear ends of thecar, the forward sheave being adapted tosup'prt the adjacent end of thedipy per operating cable 1 -,while the other pair of sheaves 22- areadapted to suppoglt the adjacent end of a bucket operating ca e 1`-.

The forward end, of the cable 1- is at-` tached to the drum -bin thepower house -B- and extends rearwardly over the top of the car uponsuitable sheaves on the forward and rearward ends thereof, some distanceto the rear end of the car where it passes around the sheave -0l"- onthe anchorage -D- and is returned over suitable sheaves on the top ofthe car and around one or more sheaves 21-, on the front end ofthe carand is attached to a fall-block -23-' on the upper edge of the dipper7-, as shown more clearly in Fig. -2.

The forward end of the other cable -.1- is attached tothe drum -bin thepower house -B- and extends rearwardly over suitable sheaves as -24- onthe top of the c'ar and around one or'more sheaves 2Q- on the rear endof the car, and is attached to a fall-block -25- which is adapted tosupport a bucket -26-.

Both of the fall-blocks are adapted to play between the opposite plates--of the ridge beam -4 and therefore in a verti-v rights of the car whenreleased and lowered.

The use of either the bucket or dipper is generally determined bythe'materials to be excavated, as previously explained, and it thereforebecomes necessar to provide some means for locking the fa l-block forboth of the devices in their extreme upper position so that the one notin use may not interfere with the one in operation, andfor this purposeis provided a pair of locking ins 4:27- and ,28- one for each fallblock,`each locking pin extending transversely across the intervening spacebetween the side plates f the right beam -4- and through longi udinalelongated inclined with `more clearly in Fig. -2-, to allow the 'pinshand lever -31- which is pivoted at 32- to the opposite plates of theridge beam -4.- soas vto move longitudinally of the car, its oppositearms .-31- being slotted vertically to receive the ends of the lockingin and permit said pin to automatically interlock with its fall-blockwhen the latter is drawn to its extreme upward position and thenslightly released.

The dipper is adapted to swing longitudinally of the car through an arcof approximately 90o which, of course, materially changes the angle ofits supporting cable relatlvely to the vertical plane or planes in whichthe sheaves 21eare located, and in order that the cable may assume itsvarious angles without excessive proximity to the forward end of thecar,

and by pivoting the supporting beam in close proximity to the rear endofthe carenables the portion of the cable between the fall-block -23-and sheaves 21` to assume an efficient forward-draft angle when thedipper is swung to its extreme rearward and downward position withoutexcessive lifting thrusts between the dipper and4 car and enables thecarto be made somewhat shorter and therefore more economically than thatshownl in my patent previously mentioned.

When .the dipper is in operation the bucket -26- is preferably removedfrom its fall-block Q5- and allowed to rest on .treme upward position bythe cable -1-,

and locked in place by its pin -27.

lThe dipper 7 is preferably of the bottom-dump type and is braced to thebeam by opposite trangular plates 33- to which the movable bottom JV-lof the dipper is vhinged at -34-, just to the rear of the rear wall ofthe dipper, as shown in Fig.

-2, thus allowing the bottom to swing by its own weight and the weightof the loa to its open position when released.

Suitable means is provided for positively closing the swinging bottom ofthe dipper and preferably at'any position of adjustment of said dipperand its supporting beam, and for this purpose the hinge sections ofthebottom -7 are connected at points some distance below the pivot 34- toone of a pair of toggle-arms -35- which are pivoted to each other at-36-, the other arm being pivotally connected at -8- of thedipper-supporting beam some distance toward the free end of said arms.

The flexing joint of the toggle-arms -35- is connected by a link -39--`to a sheave block -40-*1 the sheave of which is engaged by a cable 41-having one end attached to a fixed support 42- on the dipper-supportingbeam, and its other end attached to a rotary drum -43- on the same beam,said drum being provided with a hand-crank 4dat one side of the beam foroperating, the drum -to wind the cable thereon, and thereby draw thetogglearms toward a straight line for the purpose of positively closingthe bottom -7- 0f the dipper.

In order that the drum m43- may be locked against reverse rotation toholdthe bottom of the dipper in its closed position it is provided witha ratchet wheel 4G- adapted to be engaged by a movable` detent -47-shown in Figs. -4- and -5-.

If the dipper is to be operated for excavating or loading and backfilling the bucket 26- will, of course, be removed from its fall-block-25- whereupon-the operation of the drum --Z)- in one direction by meansof suitable clutch connections with the engine will lift the fall block-23- and dipper a sufiicient distance to allow the locking pin -27 to bethrown from its locking position through the medium of the hand lever-3l at which time the drum -bmay be released to. allow the dipper torock downwardly and rearwardly to the desired position to enable itsteeth to be brought into engagement with the material that is to beexcavated, it being understood that during this initial lowering of thedipper the beam ,-8 will be held against longitudinal movement by .therack and pinion 9 and -10-, and by the application of the brake -15 willprevent the rotation of the pinion relatively to therack.

In order that this operation may be more clearly understood it may bestated that the distance between the axis of movement of thedipper-supporting beam and vertical plane of the front supporting sheave2lfor the fall-block 2B- may be slightly less than the distance betweenthe same axis andthe bottom of the car, to allow the dipper to swingfreely from its normal up postion to its extreme rearward position abovethe surface of the ground to be excavated while the brake is applied, atwhich time the brake -15- may be released to allow'the dipper to descendby its own weight to its digging position in contact with the ground;

The drum -bmay then be operated to draw the dipper forwardly andupwardly for loading or to move the car rearwardly over the back-fillingand the dipper may be dumped at any period in such movement by trenchfor raising the loaded buckets therefrom, and causing its fall block toengage the corresponding pin -28.

When the bucket or dipper is arranged in its extreme upward position,either loaded or unloaded the limitations of movement of thecorresponding cable will allow the latter to be operated by its drum or-b-, along the track, as may be necessary, as the work of excavatingrogresses or in dumping the loads for bac -llling or into otherconveyers.

What I claim is l l. Trenching apparatus comprising 1n combination witha track alongthe trench line, a power device and an anchorage bothstationed some distance apart, said anchorage having a sheave thereon, acar movable .along the track between said power device and anchorage, acable-supporting sheave on the front end of the car, a dipper having asupporting beam movable about an axis near the iear end of the car andhaving an independent endwise movement, a fall block attached to saiddipper, and a cable passing around the sheaves and fall-block andattached to the power device. v

2. Trenching apparatus comprising in combination with a track along thetrench line, a power device and an anchorage both stationed somedistance apart along the track, and provided respectively with a rotarydrum and a Sheave, a car movable along the track between the powerdevice and anchorage and provided with a cable supporting slieave nearits front end, a dipper having spaced supporting arms mounted on therear end of the car to swing lengthwise thereof and having anindependent endwise movement, a fall-block attached to the dipier, acable extending lengthwise of the car between the dipper arms, andhaving one end attached to said drum and its other end passed aroundvthe anchorage sheave and returned to the car over the second namedsheave and attached to the fall-block.

3. Trenching apparatus comprising a car movable along the trench line, adipper mounted on the car to swing about an axis at the rear end of thecar, a tall-block attached to the dipper, a sheave on the front end ofthe car, a cable passed around the sheave and attached to theIall-block,and means for winding and unwinding the cable.

4. Trenching apparatus comprising a car movable along the trench line, adipper mounted on the car to swing about an axis at the rear endthereof, a fall-block attached to the dipper, a sheave on the front endot' the car, a cable passing around the sheavel and attached to thefall-block, means for Winding and unwinding the cable', said dipperhaving spaced supporting arms, a sheave mounted on the car near the rearend thereof between said axis and the iirst named sheave, abucket-supporting fall-block, a cable passed over the second namedsheave and between said arms and attached to the last named fall-block,and power operated means for winding and unwinding the second namedcable.

5. Trenching apparatus comprising a frame along the trench line, adipper having a supporting beam hingedly mounted upon the frame, afall-block attached to the dipper, a dipper operating cable passedaround the fall-block, a bucket-supporting fallblock movable verticallybetween the axis of movement of the dipper-supporting beam and the firstnamed fall-block, a bucket operating cable supporting the second namedfall-block, and sheaves mounted on the frame for supporting said cables.

6. Trenching apparatus comprising a track along the trench line, a carmovable along the track, a. dipper-supporting beam hingedly mounted uponone end of the car to swing vertically lengthwise thereof, a fall-blockattached to the dipper, a dipperoperating cable supporting thefall-block, sheaves on the front end ot' the car for supporting thecable, a bucket-supporting fallblock, a bucket voperating cablesupporting the second named fall-block, and supporting sheaves for thesecond named cable mounted on the car between the axis of movement ofthe dipper-'supporting beam and the first named sheaves.

7. In a trenching apparatus the combination of an elevated frame alongthe trench line, a dipper having a supportlng beam mounted on the lframeto swing vertically and longitudinally of said frame and having anindependentI endwise movement, a sheave on the frame some distance fromthe axis of movement of the dipper supporting beam,

a fall-block attached to the dipper, a cable attached to the fall-blockand passing around said sheave, a second sheave mounted on the framenearer to the axis of movement of the dipper supporting beam than thefirst named sheave. a cable supported by the second named sheave, and abucket-supporting tall-block attached to the second named cable.

8. In a trenching apparatus the combination of an elevated frame alongthe trench line, a dipper having a supporting beam mounted on the frameto swing vertically and longitudinally of said trame and having anindependent endwise movement. a sheave on the traine some distance fromthey axis ot' movement of the dipper supportn ing beam. a fall-blockattached to the dipper, a cable attached to the fall-block and vpassingaround said sheave, a second sheave mounted on the frame nearer to theaxis ot movement of the dipper supporting beam than the first namedsheave, a cable supported by the second named sheave, and '1bucket-supporting fall-block attached to second named cable, said dippersupporting beam having spaced arms, the second named cable andtall-block attached thereby being movable between said arms.

'9. In a trenching apparatus, a track .lengthwise of the trench, a carmovable car for supporting the returned end of the cable, a tallsblockattached to said cable after passing around' the sheaves, a. dippersupporting` btam mounted on the rear end of' the car to swing verticallyand'lengthwise of saidcar and having an independent cndwise movement.connections between the dipper and tall-block, additional sheavesmounted on the car near the rear end thereof, a separate cable passedaround said sheaves. and a bucket supporting tall-block carried by thesecond named cable, said second named cable being extended forwardlyover the top of the car and attached to the other drum.

10. In a trenching apparatus, the combination of a car movable along theline of the trench, a dipper and a supporting beam therefor mounted uponthe car to swing vertically and longitudinallv thereof about an axisnear the rear end ot the car, a pair ot sheaves mounted. on the car nearthe front end thereof. a fall-block attached to the dipper, a cablepassed around said sheaves and supporting the fall-block, an additionalset of sheaves mounted on the car some distance to the rear of the firstnamed sheaves, a cable passed around the second named sheaves, and abucket supporting fall-block carried by the second named cable.

11, In a trenchinrgr apparatus, the combination of a car movable alongthe line of the trench, a dipper and a supporting beam therefor mountedupon the car to swing vertically and longitudinally thereof about anaxis near the rear end of the car, a pair of sheaves mounted on thecarnear the front end thereof, a fall-block attached to the dipper, a cablepassed around said sheaves and supporting the fall-block, an additionalset of sheaves mounted on the car some distance to the rear of the firstnamed sheaves, a cable passed around the second named sheaves, a bucketsupporting fall-block car- THOMAS F. MOORE.

Witnesses:

MARY E. MooRE, D. R. HUMMER.

